Charbonneau Mysteries: The Missing Statue
by raccoonqueen
Summary: Another segment of my famous "Charbonneau Mysteries". Luna Charbonneau and her family and friends travel to Boston, where she finds true love and solves one of the most baffling mysteries of all time! Chapter 1 coming soon. Read and review.
1. Prologue: Missing!

Hello again, and welcome to the next PowerPaws segment that I call "Charbonneau Mysteries". It's here where our favorite hybrid, Luna Charbonneau, falls in love and solves one of the most baffling cases of all time. And also, it's my take on what might've happened after the end of the 1995 comedy film _Father of the Bride II_. Enjoy and review, if you please!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any known cartoon and movie characters except my own characters.

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Prologue: Missing!

It was a chilly and snowy February night in Boston, the capital of Massachusetts (and for you history buffs out there, the "Cradle of Liberty"). In North End, a pair of shadowy figures crept around the statue of Paul Revere. With the strength of their hands, the figures tried desperately to dislodge the famous landmark from its stand. When the statue finally broke off, one of them whispered, "There, now! The statue's off."

"We'd better get to our boss' hideout before that copper awakens," whispered the other figure. "If he does, we'll be dead meat for sure."

"Careful, Farley! You'll break it! What have you got, slippery fingers?"

"Not as slippery as _yours_, Butter Hands!"

The figures whispered and argued as they slowly carried the statue off, as the cop sat falling asleep on a bench. When the cop awoke the next morning, he was stunned to notice that the Paul Revere statue had been missing. He called his fellow officers together and sent them off to search the entire city. The statue still wasn't found. Then, he called President Bert Raccoon. He said, "President Raccoon, the statue of Paul Revere has been reported missing from the North End in Boston. Me and the other officers couldn't find it anywhere, so I suspect it's been stolen."

"Stolen, huh?" replied Bert. "Well, it sounds like a pretty tough case to me. But I'm afraid I'm not the one to solve _that_ problem--why not ask my granddaughter?"

"You mean...?"

"That's right--Luna Charbonneau and the Pleasant Hills Gang. She and the girls solved a case involving my twin sons last year, remember?"

"Oh, yes, I remember that one."

"I assure you that when Luna hears about the case, nothing will get in her way. Just give her a call, and she'll be right down in a flash."

"Thanks, President Raccoon. I'll--I'll call her."

And so begins one of the craziest cases of all time. It's a story which we will call "The Case of the Missing Statue"!


	2. Chapter 1: Anniversary

Chapter 1: Anniversary

It was a quiet morning in the Charbonneau Mansion in Plesant Hills, a suburb close to Washington DC. Jennifer and Jean-Baptiste "Pomp" Charbonneau were dozing peacefully in their magnificent bedroom. Everything was perfectly still, except for the chirping of the bluebirds outside. Then...

"Happy 20th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!"

The couple was instantly startled by a tapping on the drum and the shrill notes of a flute, playing a happy melody. When they looked up, there was their daughter, Luna, with Rosemary Bunker (her half-sister) at her side. Jennifer groaned, "Oh, Luna, you have to wake us up this early...?"

"That's right, Mom," said Luna cheerily. "Today is February 14, 3029. You've been married for twenty years, one month, fourteen days, thirty-six hours, twenty-five minutes, and ten seconds. And the traditional gift for your 20th year is china. So, what do you think?"

"It's, well, spectacular," said Pomp. "Thank you, Luna. Despite the fact that you and your little sister there just woke us up at nearly 6:25 A.M.--we need to get up at 7:00."

"Oh, sorry, Dad," replied Luna. "You could've told me sooner." To Rosemary, she said, "Come on, Rosie. We'd better get the others up for breakfast..."

The family went downstairs to have breakfast. It was there that the discussion about the anniversary continued. Ellie-Mae said, "So, you've been hitched for 20 years?"

"Yes," Jennifer replied proudly. "And, by the way, we're 'married', not 'hitched'."

"You're gonna have some kind of a hoedown for this occasion?" asked Jethro.

"Not at the moment. But Pomp and I are still going through some details. We started with half of the plans last night, and we expect to finish the list by noon."

Abrielle asked, "But where are you going to hold the party, Mommy?"

"Somewhere," answered Jennifer. "Just somewhere where there's plenty of family-oriented activities, like sightseeing. It could be New York--that's an easy choice--and again, there's Jacksonville, San Francisco, St. Louis, and...and..." Alton scribbled on his chalkboard and showed a portrait of the city of Boston. Seeing the picture, Jennifer continued, "...and Boston! Thank you for reminding me, Alton."

The young mute raccoon nodded approvingly. Then, Pomp said, "Uh-oh, speaking of which...Wilny, weren't you supposed to do a report on Boston yet?"

"No, Dad," said Wilny, worriedly. "I didn't do it. When I attempted to start my homework, I just...I just can't."

"And why is that?"

"Well, it's because...um...I can't spell."

"What do you mean you can't spell?" said Percy. "We thought you were the best writer in the world."

Wilny replied, "Not any more. Look at this."

He got out a piece of paper, on which there was supposed to be a report, and handed it to Jennifer. Looking it over, she said, "There's no paragraph, but I do see your full name--'Wilny Charbonneau'. The first letter of your first name looks normal, but the rest is clumsy. Instead of an 'i', there's a number 1. The letter 'l' is bent sideways, the 'n' is upside-down, and the 'y' is written backwards. I can't say what I think about the letters of your last name, but they look far more worse than the former."

"See? I can't spell my name right!" said Wilny.

Luna took the paper from Jennifer and read it. She said, "I don't know what could be wrong with you, Wilny, but my guess is that you have dyslexia."

Wilny was flabbergasted. He muttered, "...I'm dyslexic? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Dyslexia," replied Luna. "It's an impairment of the ability to read. It may be caused by a brain defect, or it could be inherited from someone in your family."

"What about you, Luna? Do you have dyslexia?"

"No. I'm perfectly healthy and I can write just as well as the others. Watch..."

She got out another piece of paper and proceeded to write her first and last name...in cursive. She then showed it to Wilny, who frowned. He said, "Why do you think you write better than me?"

"Because, Wilny, I don't have the gene for that disorder. You inherited it from your grandfather through your dad."

"Well?"

"Just because I know about the science of heredity doesn't mean that it'll make you feel better."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Jennifer went up to open it, and there was Rufus and Clover standing on the porch. Rufus said, "Good morning, Jennifer. And good morning to you, too, Pomp. We have a question for you--can you guess what today is?"

"I know what it is," answered Jennifer, a happy smile on her face. "Today's our 20th anniversary."

"Not to mention our own," said Clover. "Both of us got married on the same day and the same year. Don't you remember?"

"Of course, I do."

"So," Rufus asked. "Are you planning anything special for today, I suppose?"

Pomp replied, "We've decided to take our whole family on a trip to Boston."

"Really? Clover and I were planning the same thing. For us, there's always a second honeymoon."

Jennifer said, "And you're taking the kids along with you?"

Clover said, "Yes. Oh, and Mr. and Mrs. Dudley are going with us, too. They love family vacations."

Luna was watching the conversation from afar off. Suddenly, an alarm on her wristwatch buzzed and she pressed a small button on the side to answer it. Then, Bert's voice came in: "Bert to Luna! Come in, Luna!"

"Hey, Grandpa," she said. "What's up?"

"A statue of Paul Revere has been reported missing from the North End in Boston, Massachusetts. The police officers were never successful in finding the statue, and now they say it's been stolen."

"How can someone steal a statue that big? It must've weighed a ton."

"Not unless a burglar happens to be a very, very strong burglar. Now, Luna, you and the Pleasant Hills Gang must go to Boston at once to solve this caper and find the statue before it gets lost again. I just can't imagine the city without it."

"My family's going to Boston. We'll see what we can do there."

When she pressed the button to hang up, Wilny asked, "What was that all about?"

"I'm going to solve a new case," said Luna.

"Really? Can I come along?"

"No, but you can stay around the rest of the clan."

Wilny sat in his chair, grumbling. Luna was not only going to vacation in Boston, but she was also going to solve one the biggest cases of the century. But she never expected to find something else other than the case, the one that would change her life forever.


	3. Chapter 2: Love Is In The Air

Chapter 2: Love Is In The Air

The Charbonneau family soon boarded the airplane to Boston. Once there, they got out to admire the city in all its glory. Pomp said, "So this is Boston, the capital of Massachusetts and one of the historic cities of the nation. You know, my half-brother Charlie works here."

The family stared at Pomp in shock. Cameahwait asked, "Dad...you had a BROTHER?!"

"Yes," replied Pomp. "Your uncle Charlie Charbonneau, A.K.A. Rabbit. He was the son of one of Pa's Indian women."

Toussaint nodded in agreement. Pomp continued, "He's the writer for the _Boston Herald_--he loved that job so much, he decided to move here. And also, he works with one of Canerica's most famous photographer in the world."

"Really?" said Luna. "Who?"

"George Banks-Mackenzie."

"...wasn't he the little baby in 'Father of the Bride II'?"

"He was," said Jennifer. "And now he's all grown up. In Canerica, most of the movies that are fictional have become real, thanks to the new-and-improved technology Ralph and Melissa built to bring characters to life. Your dad and I first discovered something about that back when we were still exploring Canerica. And just to prove my theory, I have the phone number of a Michael Umbriacco in my address book. And his E-mail..."

"Could they _really_ do that, Mom?"

"If they can do it, Luna, that is considered possible."

Luna went to the Boston Common and met her friends at Frog Pond. It was there that they talked about to plan to find the stolen Paul Revere statue. However, Luna added that it wouldn't hurt to take a break once in a while and have some fun. So it was decided--the girls went ice-skating.

"Look at this, you guys," said Kitty. "I can do a figure eight, forwards and backwards."

"I can do that," said Luna.

Jem said, "I can do a square...and a rectangle."

"That one, too."

"Luna, why do you always have to copy our moves?" asked Tina.

"I don't just copy your moves--I improve them. Watch me."

With that, she proceeded to skate across the frozen pond. She formed a large rectangle, and then put a figure eight inside it. Finished, she said, "There! See? It's a UPS package, with the number 8 hidden inside." The girls laughed. "Do you want to see more?"

Luna started skating away from the group. That's when Kitty looked up and saw a man ice-skating up ahead, close to where Luna had gone off. She called out, "Luna!"

"Not right now, Kitty," answered Luna. "I'm trying to concentrate. I'm gonna try writing my name across this pond."

"But Luna..."

"No! I can do this. It's no problem to me. And I'm not going to get hurt...or anything like that."

"Luna! All I'm trying to tell you is that..."

"What?"

The girls exclaimed, "LOOK OUT!"

She was about to finish writing the last letter of her name when she got her foot caught in a crack on the pond. The shoe came off and she went flying. Luna screamed. Then...WHAM! She flew right into the man, and the two went tumbling down over the pond, straight to the edge. Josephine shuddered and said, "Ouch...now _that's_ gotta hurt..."

In an instant, Luna got up, dazed and hurt. She rubbed the back of her neck and muttered, "Maybe writing my name across Frog Pond isn't a good idea, especially when there are cracks upon the ground." Just then, she heard a young male voice say, "Excuse me, but are you all right?"

Luna looked up in response and got a stunned look on her face. It was a human person, a young male. He was a foot taller than she was (as all humans are), and he had honey-colored brown hair and brown eyes. And he was looking down at her. Luna stood still, unable to move...and unable to speak. The young man asked her, "Hello? Did you hear me?"

Luna stammered, "I...I...I..."

"You're still feeling okay?"

"Uh..."

You can't speak? I think I know why--you must've hit your head real hard. Can I get you an ice pack or something?"

"Oh, no!" Luna blurted out. "No, I'm fine. I don't...need an ice pack."

"Are you sure?"

Luna nodded. Then she continued to stare at the man, purring happily. The man said, "Well...if you need anything else, just call me. Okay, miss?"

And with that, he walked away. The girls skated over to Luna. Kitty said, waving her hand in front of Luna's face, "Hello! Earth to Luna!"

"OH!" said Luna, startled. "W-what was I doing? Where'd he go?"

"That man just left you. And you were staring at him like he's from outer space."

"I know. But...he is SOOOOO handsome. And cute, too."

"But do you have any idea _who_ he is?"

"I do--he's just a guy, that's all. Wait a minute..."

She separated from the girls and caught up to the man. She shouted, "HEY! Wait up!" The man stopped and turned around to see Luna heading for him. Once she approached him, she continued breathlessly, "Hi...I may not know who you are but...I think you're a spectacular guy...and you're really cute, too."

"I am?" asked the man.

"...yes. Say...do you, uh, want to take a walk with me along the Esplanade, by the Charles River?"

"I was about to ask the same thing."

"Right! Well...at least that's how we'll get to know each other better..."

Watching Luna and the man walk away from Frog Pond, Kitty shook her head and said, "There goes our leader..."

"And there goes our mission!" whined Hannah. "Now how are we supposed to find the Paul Revere statue if Luna's acting so foolish over that handsome-looking guy?!"

"I don't know. But I guess we're going to have to wait until she gets her mind back into focus."

Soon, the two were walking along the Esplanade. This was the perfect place for Luna and the young man to learn about each other. Luna said, "So...what's your name?"

"George," the man replied. "I'm the photojournalist for the _Boston Herald_."

"You mean..._the_ famous George Banks-Mackenzie? My dad told me SO much about you."

"Yeah. I was known for taking pictures of natural parts of this country, as well as some very important events. My favorite is President Raccoon's diplomatic visit to Mars."

"Oh, I remember that one. Grandpa wanted to make that visit a reason to improve relationships between earthlings and Martians."

"Right. What's your name?"

"Luna Charbonneau."

"Oh, I've heard of you as well--you're the leader of the pop-rock band D.O.T., right?"

"That's right. And I'm also the leader of a different kind of group--the Pleasant Hills Gang."

"So I've noticed."

Luna spotted a bench nearby and she and George sat in it. From there, they continued the conversation. She said, "I don't know if you're going to believe me on this, but...did you know that I'm the daughter of one of the most famous yet unheard-of mountain men in US history?"

"No," answered George. "Who is he?"

"Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, also known as Pomp. He got his start as the baby boy Sacajawea carried around to the Pacific Ocean during the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He grew up to become a mountain man, and he lived until 1866. Then, years and years later, Ralph and Melissa brought him back to life...in the form of a raccoon. His sister was brought to life, too--she's my aunt. And then he met and married my mom and they had me."

"And how did you know all about this?"

"It's simple. Dad was the son of a French-Canadian fur trapper and a Shoshone Indian woman. So, that makes Sacajawea my grandmother."

"I learned a little about her back when I was in elementary school. But that story sounds interesting enough to me."

"It is."

"Do you have a family?"

"Of course, I do. It's a really large one. I have my parents, an aunt, two pairs of grandparents, the donors of my genetic material, five brothers, two sisters, a dozen half-siblings, and Peanut, my pet coati. You should come and meet them sometime."

"Oh. I see."

"So...what's _your_ family like?"

Hearing that question, George sighed. He muttered, "They were fine...sort of..."

"What's wrong?" asked Luna, concerned.

"Oh, nothing's wrong. It's just that I had spent part of my life in Boston...all alone."

"Is there any reason?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. You see...I was born in California--that's far away in the western part of Canerica. But then my mom and dad decided to move to Boston, which is right here. It was actually my mom's decision to move to Boston because she said so. If she had decided to stay in California, I would've been happier. But yet again, she was obsessed with her job and nothing else. My mom was an architect. And Dad was an independent communications consultant. Whereas Mom was busy with her career, Dad managed to work part-time so he could look after me--they never had the time to hire a nanny, even if they had enough money to do so."

Luna immediately felt her heart breaking into pieces. That was the saddest story ever heard. George continued, "So, there I was...a young boy forced to grow up in a working-mom environment. But fortunately, things started to look up for me--Mom wanted to move back to California for a better job, and so we did. I ended up growing up in Pasadena. I got many good grades. I was popular in school. And I made my way up to my college days. Then it just got better--I married my high school sweetheart. And we had a daughter named Nina."

"Oh, that's awful, but it's still great how things have turned out in the end," said Luna. "My mom used to live in California, too. But when she was killed in an accident, with the result that she was instantly revived and turned into a Mixer, she was spirited away to Washington DC. And we had been living there ever since."

"What job does she have?"

"She's a police officer for the Time Toon Cops. Dad used to be one, but he got fired. So he's jobless."

"I guess I'm not the only one who's been growng up without having a mother around to care for me."

"No. I'm used to my mom being away for certain long periods of time."

"You're lucky."

"I am. I have a large family, after all. But how did you end up back in Boston?"

"When I was offered a job opportunity as a photojournalist for the _Boston Herald_, I moved my family to live here. My parents still live in California, and we visit them every year on special occasions--to celebrate birthdays, Fourth of July...and Christmas! I love that holiday most of all."

"Me, too. And is your wife still living?"

"...no. She died in a car accident over a year ago. I'm still mourning her."

"Man, that's pretty much messed up."

"I know. There's never going to be another wonderful woman like her. She was beautiful...clever...fun...and kinda silly..."

Luna looked up at him. "Like me?"

George stared at Luna, before looking down. Her paw was on his hand. He was stunned at first, but then he smiled. "Yes...just like you. But at least I don't know what you are yet..."

Luna smiled back. She replied, "What do you think I am when you look at me?"

"I-I don't know. A green-furred, brown-spotted cat, perhaps? With the tail of a raccoon?"

"George...I'm more than that. I'm the whole melting-pot of assorted DNA, so mixed up that you won't even be able to tell my true species. I'm a Mixer, just like Mom."

"You're right--you _are_ a Mixer. And the wierdest kind."

"Thanks. I'm used to people who give me that look when they meet me for the first time."

It was obvious that they had started to fall in love.


End file.
